MEN IN INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 85, 7 October 1938, Page 8

MEN IN INDUSTRY

A common-sense approach to a solution of the unemployment problem was suggested by Mr. Mazengarb, National candidate for Wellington Suburbs, last evening. Briefly, his proposal was that men engaged on public works and similar undertakings, with little hope at present of being absorbed into the normal industrial life of the country, should be given the opportunity of •attending industrial training centres and learning a trade under competent Government instructors. This- training would give them a chance of qualifying for the jobs which the Prime Minister has stated are available to skilled men. As Mr. Mazengarb pointed out, public works offer no permanent solution of the unemployment problem. That they play such an important part in the economic life of the Dominion at ,a time of comparative prosperity is an indication that the Government has failed to come to grips with the real problem—the reabsorption of men into industry. The Prime Minister himself has admitted that public1 works "are not going to solve the problem of unemployment." He has seen the need for fitting people into the industries and services of the country, but up to the present his Government has not made the headway in that direction that prosperity would appear to warrant. Heavy taxation and restrictive legislation of all kinds have made it impossible for industry to expand in a way that might.have been expected under present economic conditions.

The Government's public works policy has concentrated the available man-power into one main avenue of employment and men who might be employed as tradesmen in industry] are working as general labourers, j with little prospect of ever becoming anything else. A f point of very real concern is what is going to happen to these men in the future. Very plainly the country cannot carry indefinitely a public works programme of the present dimensions and sooner or later a reduction in the number of men dependent on the I State for their livelihood will be inevitable.- The majoiuty of those men will go out of their jobs no better equipped to play a part in industry than when they went into them. Many thousands of men em-j ployed on public works have already acquired some skill as tradesmen and the period of training necessary to qualify them fully for jobs in industry would not be long. Mr. Mazengarb suggested that while in attendance at the training centres men should receive the basic rate of pay so long as they applied themselves to the learning of a trade. While this would involve some strain on the public purse, the ultimate return to the Dominion in skilled man-power would amply justify the expenditure. Mr. Mazengarb's proposal was not made without authority. There are in England at present about twelve centres at which young men from 18 to 25 years of age are trained in skilled trades and experience has shown that there is little difficulty in placing the trainees in industry after as short a period as six months. The suggestion made by Mr. Mazengarb is a practical contribution to the solution of a very real problem and is worthy of close study. ,